Social Science Teaching

Program Requirements

This major is designed to prepare students to teach in public schools. In order to graduate with this major, students are required to complete Utah State Board of Education licensing requirements. To view these requirements go to http://education16.byu.edu/advisement/licensing or contact the Education Advisement Center, 350 MCKB, (801) 422-3426.

For students accepted into the major after August 1, 2014, grades below C in any required coursework in a teaching major or teaching minor will not be accepted. Teacher candidates must maintain a total GPA of 3.0 or higher throughout the program and to qualify for student teaching. For details on admission and retention requirements for teaching majors and teaching minors, see Educator Preparation Program (EPP) Requirements in the undergraduate catalog.

Licensure Requirements: Contact the Education Advisement Center, 350 MCKB, 422-3426, to schedule the exit interview to clear your application for the secondary teaching license. You should be registered for your last semester at BYU prior to the scheduled appointment.

Note: It is the student's responsibility to be sure that the Praxis test has been taken and that BYU has received the test scores, that their fingerprint background clearance is current, and that state licensing fees have been paid prior to graduation. Students will also be responsible for any additional requirements imposed by the state prior to their graduation. To confirm the status of these requirements contact the Education Advisement Center, 350 MCKB, 422-3426. Graduation and Utah licensure cannot be processed until these requirements have been completed.

Program Outcomes:

Subject Matter

Candidates can identify the core concepts and standards associated with the social science curricula taught in secondary classrooms (subject areas: history, political science, geography, psychology) and can create learning experiences that make these concepts meaningful for students.

Learning and Learning

Candidates can articulate how young people learn and develop, acknowledging individual and cultural differences, in order to create environments that motivate collaborative learning.

Instructional Strategies

Candidates use a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students? development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills, and use assessments to inform instruction.

Professional Development

Candidates continually reflect on and evaluate their teaching practices, actively seek opportunities to grow professionally, engage in ethical behavior, and collaborate with stakeholders (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community).

Utah Effective Teaching Standards

Demonstrate basic competency in the Utah Effective Teaching Standards as established by Utah Teacher Education Assessment and Accreditation Council and the Utah State Board of Education